It was a nail-biting night for many Christian conservatives watching how California would vote on a gay marriage ban.

The vote was close. Earlier polls had showed the measure to define marriage between one man and one woman could be defeated.

What impact will California's vote for traditional marriage have on the nation? Click play for more insight from David Nammo, with the Family Research Council.

But by Wednesday morning, supporters breathed a sigh of relief. Voters approved the amendment, 52 percent to 47 percent

One California pastor credits a group of prayer warriors who fasted for 40 days before the election, to the sudden swing in favor of the amendment.

"The first bump we got was a 10-point switch," Pastor Jim Garlow told CBN News. "In an eleven-day span, it made that change and that was the first 12 days of our fast.

The Future of Marriage?

So what does the California marriage amendment vote mean?

For starters, it puts the status of more than 10, same-sex marriages in question after the state Supreme Court legalized gay marriage earlier this year.State

Legal challenges have already been filed, and state Attorney General Jerry Brown has said same-marriages that have already taken place will still be recognized by the state.

On Wednesday, more than 1,000 people rallied against the approved amendment in Los Angeles. The amendment vote is the first time a decision by the state's highest court has been overturned by voter will.

Sending a Signal

California's Proposition 8, put up for vote after the state's highest court had cleared the way for gay marriages in June, passed 52 percent to 47 percent, with 96 percent of the vote counted.

"There's enough godly people rising up," he continued. "In addition, there's people who are not part of any of these theological groupings, but they have enough sense of decency and natural law that they rose up, too, to vote that marriage is one man and one woman."

San Diego is considered the "birth place" of Proposition 8. Because California is such a cultural trendsetter, many believe this vote will have national implications. Now, supportesr hope the new marriage amendment will deter other states from legalizing gay marriage.

"I think the voters were thinking, well, if it makes them happy, why shouldn't we let gay couples get married. And I think we made them realize that there are broader implications to society and particularly the children when you make that fundamental change that's at the core of how society is organized, which is marriage," Prop 8 strategist Jeff Flint said.

Opponents and foes together spent $74 million, making Prop 8 the most costly social-issues campaign in the nation's history.

Arizona and Florida

The California approval followed on the heals of both Arizona and Florida passing a similar vote to ban gay marriage through a state amendment in Tuesday's election.

Tuesday, Proposition 102 in Arizona and the Marriage Protection Amendment in Florida were both approved by a significant margin.

In Florida, about 62 percent had voted in favor of the ballot. In Arizona, 56 percent had given the okay

Both initiatives defined marriage as only the union between one man and one woman.